CalHDF News
CaRLA Announces the End of the Year Departure of Victoria Fierce
CaRLA is both happy and sad to announce the end of the year departure of our Director of Operations Victoria Fierce. As a three-person nonprofit, CaRLA is a close knit team and Victoria’s departure at the end of December brings both sadness at the loss of a colleague...
Victory Alert – Huntington Beach
CaRLA is happy to announce another fresh victory in a string of significant rulings in favor of housing. If you haven’t been following the Huntington Beach saga, it is finally coming to an end, and the series finale has a surprising conclusion. We were very unhappy...
CaRLA Announces Precedent-Setting Victory in San Mateo Appeal
Oakland, CA — The California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund (CaRLA) is pleased to announce a precedent-setting victory in the fight for more housing and a more equitable California. In a much anticipated decision released Friday afternoon, the California...

CaRLA Disappointed in Huntington Beach Housing Lawsuit Ruling
We are simultaneously disappointed in and surprised by a trial judge’s ruling last week to deny 48 units of desperately needed and zoning-compliant housing in Huntington Beach on the grounds that the project is not protected by the Housing Accountability Act. This...

A Guide to Ending Single Family Zoning: Lessons Learned from 39 Years of ADU Legislation
A Guide to Ending Single-Family Zoning Lessons from 39 Years of ADU LegislationCalifornians don’t have time to deal with the housing shortage and high housing costs linked to the prevalence of single-family zoning. If single-family properties are going to be a source...

CaRLA Grows with Greg Magofña and Luis Villa
CaRLA is excited to announce that, much like California, our team is growing with the addition of Greg Magofña and Luis Villa. Greg Magofña, Director of Development and Outreach Greg Magofña joins us as our new Director of Development and Outreach to bring his wealth...
We’ve filed our appeal brief against San Mateo
In 2017, the state legislature passed SB167 to strengthen the Housing Accountability Act. The changes it brought were profoundly boring: it simply required cities to follow their own zoning laws instead of making them up on the spot at every project hearing. If you've...
Sue the Suburban Lifestyle Dream
The soon-to-be-former President, in his failed attempt to appeal to voters this election, unsurprisingly decided to take a stand against fair housing. In an effort to “save the suburban lifestyle dream,” Trump repealed Obama era regulations designed to give teeth to...
Los Altos concedes defeat. Housing won.
Today, we’re pleased to announce that Los Altos has conceded defeat in our lawsuit against them for an unlawful denial of affordable housing under Senate Bill 35’s streamlined approval provisions. The city tried announcing this late Saturday night in the middle of the...
We’ve filed our first appellate brief in CaRLA v. City of San Mateo
As we announced earlier this year, CaRLA is appealing the ruling we received at trial in our lawsuit against the City of San Mateo for violating the Housing Accountability Act. At the same time, the California Attorney General intervened in our suit to defend the...
Press & Media Inquiries
Contact Greg Magofña, Director of Development & Outreach
greg@carlaef.org
CalHDF | CaRLA in the News
Housing groups threaten Belvedere with lawsuits
The Ark, Jan 18, 2023
Manhattan Beach City Council to Bring Back Highrose / Verandas Issue
MB News, Jan 12, 2023
Court Affirms Housing Applicants’ Ability to Be Vested Against Downzonings
Holland & Knight Alert, Dec 20, 2022
Oceanside approves 146-unit Breeze Luxury Apartments despite unpopularity
The Coast News, Dec 14, 2022
Manhattan Beach faces state action, lawsuits on Project Verandas
Easy Reader & Peninsula, Dec 8, 2022
Stanford’s most exclusive neighborhood becomes legal battleground over housing
Mercury News, Oct 2, 2022
Project Verandas decision looms for City Council
Easy Reader & Peninsula Magazine, Sept 1, 2022
Golden Skate closing at end of month to make way for new townhomes
DanvilleSanRamon.com, Jul 14, 2022
With more enforcement power than ever, state relies on activists to enforce duplex law
CalMatters, Apr 22, 2022
Duplex housing law met with fierce resistance by California cities
CalMatters, Apr 11, 2022
California’s Attorney General Says Pasadena Is Violating State Housing Law
LAist, Mar 17, 2002
How some Bay Area cities are working to undermine state’s new SB 9 housing law
San Francisco Business Times, Mar 14, 2022
Why cities in San Mateo County are planning for new levels of growth
San Mateo Daily Journal, Feb 22, 2022
San Carlos Senate Bill 9 ordinance challenged
The Daily Journal, Feb 8, 2022
Condo plans return before San Mateo City Council after costly lawsuit
San Mateo Daily Journal, Feb 7, 2022
As new Bay Area SB9 housing applications grow, so does rift between suburbs, developers
Mercury News, Feb 6, 2022
Berkeley City Council allegedly violates state ADU law
Daily Californian, Feb 3, 2022
San Mateo won’t appeal housing ruling
San Mateo Daily Journal, Oct 14, 2021
This San Mateo legal ruling has big implications for California’s housing crisis
Mercury News, Sept 14, 2021
San Mateo loses ruling on housing
San Mateo Daily Journal, Sept 14, 2021
Will Legislature confront California housing crisis?
CalMatters, Aug 22, 20121
A simple home renovation, a slur and a federal case in Los Altos
Mercury News, Jan 17, 2021
Los Altos: Five-story downtown development officially moves forward after year-long legal battle
Mercury News, Sep 10, 2020
Bay Area City Delays OK for Apartment Project That Sparked a Housing War
Courthouse News Service, Aug 11, 2020
Lafayette Again Delays Decision to Approve Controversial ‘YIMBY’ Housing, After a Decade-Long Process
KQED, Aug 10, 2020
The apartment proposal that sparked Lafayette’s housing war is back. Can it win approval?
San Francisco Chronicle, Aug 5, 2020
Housing fight rages on in Los Altos, as city appeals YIMBY legal victory
Mercury News, July 8, 2020